compelling
Americanadjective
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tending to compel, as to force or push toward a course of action; overpowering.
There were compelling reasons for their divorce.
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having a powerful and irresistible effect; requiring acute admiration, attention, or respect.
a man of compelling integrity; a compelling drama.
adjective
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arousing or denoting strong interest, esp admiring interest
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(of an argument, evidence, etc) convincing
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of compelling
Explanation
Compelling means attractive, or irresistible, or really, really convincing. You know your argument for backpacking across Europe is compelling when your parents not only let you go but also pay for all your expenses. To compel is to drive or force into action –– the way the fear of being grounded might compel you to come home before your curfew. A compelling argument compels you to agree with its logic –– it's irresistible. If you decide to run for class president, you'll need to write a compelling speech about why students should vote for you.
Vocabulary lists containing compelling
100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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25 Words from "Baseball and Black History"
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Word Generation Social Studies - Ancient Civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Rome
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“An early Roth conversion strategy could be a compelling way to move assets into tax-free growth while incurring little or no federal income tax.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Lando Norris took his and McLaren's first grand prix victory of the year in a compelling race in Hungary.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
They argued that the subpoenas didn’t meet the stringent legal test for compelling information from a reporter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Plaintiffs present compelling evidence that the combined firm resulting from the transaction will possess substantial market share in the wide-release theatrical distribution market,” Martínez-Olguín wrote in her 10-page order.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Like the photograph of the spider-dancer, Mrs. Richardson found this perturbing but strangely compelling.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
